If your loved one has returned home after a suicide attempt, you may think that the worst is over. It can only get better from here, right? Unfortunately, about 23% of people who attempt suicide will try again in the following months with roughly 7% succeeding.
While some view the failed attempt as a starting point to recover, others may view the failure as just that: a failure. Some survivors will be grateful they did not succeed and begin the process of recovery, but others will view their failed attempt as yet another thing they cannot do properly. Here are a few ways you can reduce the likelihood of your loved one attempting suicide again.
Remove All Potential Tools of Suicide
Making the home a safe place is the first step to reducing the risk of repeated suicide attempts. Keep in mind the tool used during the first attempt and be sure it is not accessible. From there, remove the obvious dangers such as excess medication, firearms, and knives. You may even want to conceal the shaving razors. If your loved one has required medication, it is best to designate someone to dispense the proper dosage while holding the remainder.
Ensure They Attend Counseling
It is critical that your loved one receive counseling in some form. If they do not feel like leaving the home, make sure they are able to call in for over-the-phone counseling appointments. Consistent treatment is the best way to make progress in their recovery. Without someone prompting them to attend sessions, they may fall back into the mental state they started in, withdrawing into their own minds and remembering the reasons they attempted suicide in the first place.
Do Not Make Life about the Suicide Attempt
If all the family and friends can discuss is your loved one’s mental state, their treatments, and their attempt to take their life, it becomes much more difficult to return to a normal existence. Keep their mental state in mind but continue to chat about normal things and get them involved with daily activities.
There is a fine line to walk between regaining normalcy and ignoring the problem. If you pretend as though nothing happened, you may be doing more harm than good. But only discussing their hardship is equally bad. Find a healthy balance and maintain open communication with your loved one.
Encourage Positive Coping
Activities like exercise, eating well, meditation, and even religious activity are great ways to cope with depression and stress. Rather than returning to the suicidal thoughts, you want to encourage your loved one to create new tactics for coping that are beneficial for them.
You might start attending yoga classes together or spend a few days a week trying out new and healthy recipes together. The goal is to keep them active, healthy, and as happy as possible throughout the recovery process.
Recovery from a suicide attempt is something that involves the entire family. Avoiding a repeat experience is also something that should involve the entire family. Loved ones should all be coached on how to approach the person, the situation, and the return to normalcy. An insensitive or ignorant family member can represent several steps back in the healing process. Though it is not guaranteed or even very likely that your loved one will attempt suicide again, it certainly doesn’t hurt to do everything you can to prevent that chance.
Steve Johnson has always been dedicated to promoting health and wellness in all aspects of life. Studying in the medical field has shown him how important it is for reputable health-related facts, figures, tips, and other guidance to be readily available to the public. He created PublicHealthLibrary.org with a fellow student to act as a resource for people’s overall health inquiries and as an accurate and extensive source of health information. When he isn’t hard at work in his studies, Steve enjoys playing tennis and listening to his vintage record collection.
Image via Pixabay by janeb13
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, substance use disorders affect 20 to 30 percent of the LGBTQ population, compared to 8.4 percent of the general population.
This treatment center in the UK has good information on alcohol detox and addiction treatment.
Here is a list of treatment centers and help lines but there are some programs that specialize in treatment of LGBTQ, such as The Recovery Village in Palm Beach, Florida.
Return to Suicide Prevention Resources page at PrideAgainstPrejudice.com
This page was last updated on Wednesday, August 4th, 2021